Their acute effect has been well
documented since the nineteenth century, but more recently they have become
notorious as the cause of addiction to glue sniffing.

They may alter the immune system
by causing lymphopenia, impairing phagocytosis and decreasing the level
of serum complement, as well as altering the impermeability of the blood-brain
barrier and leading to the appearance of white matter lesions in the brain.

The following case study explores
the possible role of organic solvents in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.